A top three in which, for once, no one got screwed

[jlh]

Paula was remarkably lucid tonight, wasn't she? I love how Randy and Simon made the first performances all about them, which is typical for Simon but not as much for Randy. Nice to see the comeback of Simon putting his hand over Ryan's mouth, and the lingering handholding moment was for the win, seriously, as was Ryan calling Simon "my boo." Funny, after Ryan called out Simon on his big fat mancrush on DCook—the first year I recall Simon having a mancrush on anyone other than Ryan.

• small David
  1. "And So It Goes." Who did that string arrangement? Clunk city. I agree with Randy that it might have been better with a piano, and with Simon that it was merely competent.
     
  2. "With You." On the one hand, it was a good choice because he was trying to be all down with the kids and modern and stuff, except for the part where he couldn't pull it off.
     
  3. "Longer." Seriously? I'm with Simon, and I really like crappy 70's soft rock, but talk about treacle. Well, at least he made an attempt to eyefuck the camera, if not a particularly good one.
  
  
• Syesha
  1. "If I Ain't Got You." That sat really well in her range, and she sounded great, even if she sounded, well, pretty much like Alicia Keys, as Simon said.
     
  2. "Fever." She did sound great, though the singing behind the beat in the first verse was a bad choice. I totally agreed with Paula and Simon,
     
  3. "Hit Me Up." This song was on the Happy Feet soundtrack. Syesha sounded like Beyonce. It was fun but you know, not that interesting.
  
  
• D.Cook
  1. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." Oh Simon, you're such a schmoopy thing. <3 I really liked it, actually—the start was a little rocky, but I felt like that was okay, because
     
  2. "Dare You to Move." Well, I'm with Randy, it was a little rough in a few parts, and as Paula said, it was just getting started when it ended, just like "Baba O'Riley" last week. But wanting more can't be bad.
     
  3. "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing." Full disclosure: I fucking hate this song. So that he avoided being totally OTT and bombastic and ridiculous by stripping it down was pretty fantastic, because I could actually listen to the song.

[Poll #1187475]

I voted for DCook a billion times.